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It took Indian cooking until 2001 to earn its first Michelin stars, and it happened in London, at Tamarind and Zaika. A quarter-century on, the world's first Indian restaurant with three stars is in Dubai, Trèsind Studio, which reached the top rung in its fourth appearance in the guide. Only about 140 restaurants across the world hold that distinction. India itself is still waiting for its turn.
The country has no Michelin Guide yet, although 47 Indian hotels already hold Michelin Keys and the government is reportedly finalising a partnership to bring the restaurant guide by late 2026. Until it arrives, the stars for Indian cooking are earned elsewhere, and this week brought another reminder. At the fifth Michelin Guide Dubai, Trèsind Studio retained its three stars. If a festive break is on the cards, these are five Indian-led starred tables worth building the trip around.
Trèsind Studio earned three Michelin stars in its fourth appearance in the Dubai guide, becoming the first Indian restaurant in the world to do so. It seats just 20 around an open kitchen, serving a tasting menu that draws on cooking styles from across India, built largely on fish, seafood and vegetables, some sourced from organic UAE farmers. Michelin's inspectors single out ghee-roast crab with burnt cinnamon and lobster tail with pickled carrot and Alleppey curry. Chef Himanshu Saini began his career under the mentorship of Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent in Delhi. Arrive early for cocktails at the Popadom Botanic Bar.
Avatāra retained its one star in the 2026 guide, and its Ninad Jani took the Sommelier Award. Michelin calls it the world's first vegetarian One-Michelin-Starred Indian restaurant, presenting 18 dishes built around local produce, with chefs finishing each plate at a wide, altar-like table. Highlights include a jackfruit, teardrop pea and spinach curry kebab, and morel mushroom with chilli and potato dauphinois. The kitchen is led by Mumbai-born chef Omkar Walve, winner of the Michelin Guide Dubai Young Chef Award in 2023, who was named Head Chef in September 2025.
Garima Arora earned her first star for Gaa in 2018, becoming the first Indian woman to do so, and the restaurant added a second. It still holds two stars in the 2026 guide, with a vegetarian tasting menu available as a standing option and the tasting menu at THB 6,200++ per guest. The setting is a transformed traditional Thai house, with a minimalist taupe interior and bold dishes that reinterpret Indian street food. INDDEE, also on Soi Langsuan, holds two stars too, so Bangkok makes a strong case for a festive weekend.
Gymkhana holds two stars in the 2026 guide and sits on Albemarle Street in Mayfair. It was awarded its second star in 2024, and its two floors take inspiration from colonial India's members' clubs, from a jade-green, dark-timbered ground floor to a peach and Kashmiri red lower level. The northern-leaning tasting menus include vegetarian options, with plates such as gilafi quail seekh kebab and achari paneer tikka with fig, cashew and corn chaat. It comes from JKS Restaurants, which also runs Trishna and Ambassadors Clubhouse, the latter newly starred in 2026.
Chef Mano Thevar, born in Penang and trained in kitchens including Guy Savoy and Waku Ghin, opened Thevar in 2019 and earned a second star three years later. Michelin's 2026 entry notes the restaurant has relocated to a restored shophouse with Chettinad-inspired motifs, and calls the Chettinad chicken roti a must. Brittany lobster with curry beurre blanc is another signature, backed by a 600-label wine list. The chef's tasting menu is S$298++, and a vegetarian version is available but must be pre-ordered.